Nitish ready to step up in all-round role for CWC27
Nitish Kumar Reddy delivered with bat and ball in India's win over New Zealand in the second T20I.
Nitish Kumar Reddy was instrumental to India's success in the second T20I in Christchurch. His 26* off 13 was a useful cameo in the death overs of a stiff chase, that saw India overcome New Zealand by four wickets.
Partnering him was India's middle-order batter Tilak Varma, who remained unbeaten on 51 off 26. But Nitish had also contributed earlier, as a medium pace bowler, getting the important wicket of Bevon Jacobs, who had struck a fluent 58 in the game.
It is in this all-rounder's role that Nitish interests the team management, as they seek to develop a strong squad ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.
After India's win, Nitish was asked if he was ready to continue chipping in as an all-rounder and potentially partner India seam all-rounder Hardik Pandya in South Africa next year.
"When you are made to bowl in defensive situations, it helps," Nitish stated how bowling the crunch overs helped his game. "It's all about experience right now (ahead of the World Cup). It's all about getting more and more experience before the right time comes."
When asked about his brisk knock during a tense chase, Nitish discussed how he sought to put the pressure back on the New Zealand bowlers despite the tourists needing 69 off 31 with just four wickets in hand.
"The moment I walked in. The moment when I got the four. We were just talking, 'Tilak we have to believe that we are going to get one strong, good over' and that's what the T20 game is all about. One good over (for batting) and the pressure is back on the bowling side.
"We managed to take twos of even the good balls. And off the bad balls, we managed to hit for boundaries. I think that's where the game really changed for us."
Nitish also credited India head coach Gautam Gambhir for not adding any unnecessary expectations on the player and letting their natural game take over.
"Gautam sir keeps telling us, whatever situation we are in, we have to keep believing. He didn't put any other extra pressure that we have to go in and straightaway go bang bang. We are experienced players and we played to ourselves, and the results came."
The five-game series now moves over the Wellington, where the next contest will be played on 27 October.
Series schedule:
First T20I: 22 October, Christchurch (India won by four wickets)
Second T20I: 24 October, Christchurch (India won by four wickets)
Third T20I: 27 October, Wellington
Fourth T20I: 30 October, Auckland
Fifth T20I: 1 November, Hamilton